Parents

Dear Grade 1 Families,

We have had another awesome week in our learning. 

 Phonics
In phonics, we have been learning the different spelling patterns that can make the /c/ sound, including c, ce, se, st and sc. Students have been reading, sorting and spelling words with these graphemes while discussing how the same sound can be represented in different ways.

 Reading
This week we read Don’t Trust the Fish!, a humorous story that encouraged students to think critically about whether they could trust the narrator. We discussed the author’s purpose, shared our opinions, and used evidence from the text to decide if the author’s claims were believable.

 Writing
Students have begun writing a new rhyming poem. We have been exploring rhyming words, generating ideas and planning our poems before beginning our first drafts.

 Numeracy
In Numeracy, students have been learning subtraction strategies and exploring how subtraction is connected to addition. We have been using number facts, part-part-whole thinking and related addition facts to solve subtraction problems more efficiently.

 Unit of Inquiry
As part of our inquiry, students selected a topic to investigate independently or in small groups. They have been practising taking notes from books on Epic! by identifying important information and recording key facts in their own words.

 Reminders

• Homework and take-home readers should continue to be returned each Friday.
• Please return your Pizza Order Note for the school disco if you have not already done so.

Thank you for your continued support. We hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Kind regards,

The Grade 1 Team
Josh, Jamila, Bryoni, Romy, Emily, Mia, Jasmine and Jade

Dear Grade Two Families, 

We have had a very busy week! 

Phonics

This week, we have been learning to hear and recognise words with the /m/ sound, focusing on the different graphemes m and mb. Students have been identifying these sounds in words and applying their phonics knowledge when reading and writing.

Reading

We have continued our text study on The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals. Students have been busy comparing creatures, making inferences about the author’s viewpoint, and summarising important facts from the text.

Writing

Our writers have been very busy editing and revising their information reports to get them ready for publishing. We have focused on adding descriptive noun phrases and creating different sentence types to make our writing more engaging and informative.

Numeracy

We have continued our Additive Thinking unit, moving into different strategies for solving subtraction equations. Students have been exploring efficient ways to subtract and explain their thinking.

Unit of Inquiry

We are beginning to take action in our inquiry unit! Our travel agents have selected a country and are researching all the amazing things they can discover. They will use their findings to create an informative travel brochure showcasing their chosen destination.

Friendly Reminders:

We have lots of upcoming events in the next few weeks
· Wednesday, 26 August – STEM Night

• Wednesday, 2 September– Book Parade. Please ensure your child’s costume is ready for the parade.
• Wednesday, 2 September – Thursday, 3 September– Father’s Day Stall

The Grade Two Team

Liam (H17), Katie (H18), Shelby (H19), Krichelle/Sarah (H22), Stefanie/Amanda (H23), Lan/Megan (H24), Agnes (H25)

Dear Grade 3 Families,

This week in Reading, students are exploring our new text study, The Rainbow Fish. They learnt about descriptive language and how authors use interesting words (Expanded nouns) to help readers create pictures in their minds. Students also explored the story arc, identifying the beginning, middle, problem, climax, and resolution of the story. They discussed the characters, setting, and key events, and explored the important themes of friendship, kindness, sharing, and belonging.

In Writing, students focused on editing and revising their persuasive texts. They reviewed their work to improve spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure, while also revising their arguments to make them clearer, stronger, and more convincing for their audience.

In Word Work, students explored the prefix semi- and learnt that it means half or partly. They practised identifying and creating words with the prefix semi- and discussed how adding this prefix changes the meaning of a base word.

In Numeracy, students continued exploring 3D objects, with a focus on prisms and pyramids. They identified and described the properties of these shapes, including their faces, edges, and vertices, and compared the similarities and differences between different 3D objects.

Reminders

• Stem Night – 26^th of August
• Book Week Parade – 2^nd of September
• Father’s Day Stall 2-3^rd of September (more details to be communicated through compass)
• Grade 3 Sleepover will take place on Thursday 17 September. Payment and consent forms are due by Friday 7 August.
• Last day of school Friday 18^th of September 1:30pm finish

Kind Regards,

The Grade 3 Team
Kasey (H27), Praveenah (H28), Monique (H29), Ash & Clayton (H30), Ritu (H31), Preet (H32), Ritika (H33)

Dear Grade 4 Families,

We have had another fantastic few weeks of learning in Grade 4! Here’s a snapshot of what students have been exploring.

Reading
Students have continued studying Each Kindness, exploring the impact of kindness on one’s self and others. They have also examined symbolism, first-person viewpoint and how texts show changes in time. 

Writing
In writing, students have continued their persuasive writing unit. They have written well-structured persuasive texts with an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. They have also used editing strategies to revise and improve their work. 

Mathematics
Students have begun a new unit on angles. They have learnt to classify different types of angles, explore the relationships between angles and calculate angle totals. They have also practised estimating and measuring angles using a protractor.  

Unit of Inquiry- How the World Works
This week, students have begun exploring physical science. They are learning about different types of forces and Newton’s laws of motion to understand how and why objects move. 

Reminders

• Homework is sent home every Friday and should be returned by the following Friday.
• We encourage students to read for at least 10 minutes each night to support their reading fluency and comprehension.
• Swimming: Please ensure your child brings their bathers, towel, and any other required swimming items on their scheduled swimming day so they can fully participate in the program.

We hope everyone enjoys the weekend, and we look forward to another wonderful week of learning together.

Kind regards,

The Grade 4 Team

Dear Grade Five Families, 

In Reading, students have continued to analyse the text ‘The name jar’ exploring how setting can affect character changes. 

In Writing, students have continued to draft a persuasive discussion on their topic. 

In Numeracy, students have begun to explore perimeter and area,  solving mathematical problems using formal units of measurements and conceptual understanding. 

Reminders:

• Term 3 Swimming: H41, H42, H43 and H45 swim on Mondays, while H44, H46 and H47 swim on Wednesdays. 
• A reminder about ball games before and after school 
• STEM week 24-28 August: Our community is invited to join us for STEM night on Wednesday the 26th of August from 4:30pm-6pm  
• Book week: dress up day parade Wednesday 2nd of September 
• Father’s Day Stall – 2^nd and 3^rd of September. All gifts are $5

Have a lovely weekend,

The Grade Five Team,

Elise and Kafa (H41), Melanie (H42), Stacey (H43), Anne (H44), Ashleigh and Stephanie (H45), Jayde (H46) and Ana (H47)

Dear Families,

It has been another busy and exciting week of learning for our Grade 6 students! This week marked the beginning of our Exhibition journey, with students enthusiastically embracing the opportunity to prepare for this significant milestone in the Primary Years Programme (PYP).

As part of our Exhibition preparation, students officially began their Exhibition journey by exploring what Exhibition is and why it is an important part of the PYP. They reflected on themselves as learners, explored the purpose of mission statements and developed a deeper understanding of the PYP Approaches to Learning, considering how these skills will support them throughout the Exhibition process.

In reading, students have continued studying The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups by David Wisniewski. Throughout the week, they have explored how an author’s word choices shape the mood of a text, identified contradictions between the author’s message and the reader’s understanding, inferred implied themes and examined how the organisation of a text contributes to its overall meaning and humour.

In numeracy, students began a new unit on operations, focusing on the order of operations when solving equations using BIDMAS. Students practised applying the correct sequence of operations to solve increasingly complex equations and finding missing values, strengthening their mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills.

A few reminders:

• Swimming is now well and truly underway. Please ensure students bring their swimming bag on their allocated day.
• In preparation for Graduation, please use the link below to upload a clear baby photo of your child by 18th September:
  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdR3pgQzntS2EbvnZFfgEHmPGDYaZnHfauTo-2OySOVYR_ICw/viewform 
• On Monday 17th August (Week 6), students will attend our Exhibition excursion. Please ensure consent has been provided on Compass prior to the excursion. Students will need to bring a packed lunch on the day and will not require any spending money, as purchases will not be permitted.

From the Grade 6 Team

Nikita, Deanna, Shana, Hayden, Sam, Sarah, Hamna, Vanessa and Sasha